The Detroit Tigers have finalized a trade to send their ace pitcher Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for three prospects - outfielder Zyhir Hope, pitcher River Ryan and pitcher Brady Smith. Hope is considered to be one of the top prospects in all of baseball, with big long-term fantasy upside, and is currently ranked #14 on Eric Cross's most recent dynasty fantasy baseball prospect rankings. He is currently in Double-A and sporting a .293/.369/.530 line with 23 home runs, 18 steals and 87 RBI across 372 at-bats.

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Kansas City Royals outfielder Lane Thomas and left-handed pitcher Bailey Falter were traded to the Atlanta Braves on Saturday. There is no return package for the Royals yet, but that should be announced shortly. This season, Thomas is slashing .230/.325/.392 with 10 home runs, 37 RBI, and seven stolen bases across 96 games. He doesn't have great stats, but he excels against left-handed pitching. Thomas remains a deep league option, but a move to a better lineup in Atlanta should help his fantasy value. As for Falter, he owns a 13.97 ERA across five appearances this season. He's unlikely to be fantasy relevant unless the Braves work their magic on him.

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Los Angeles Dodgers outfielders Zyhir Hope and Kendall George have been scratched from the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game with Double-A Tulsa. There is no injury reason given for their absence, so the assumption is that both players could be part of an upcoming blockbuster trade. Hope is considered one of the best outfield prospects in the league and is currently ranked as the No. 25 prospect in baseball. George is a former first-round pick who offers good upside with the bat as well. Fantasy managers should stay tuned for more updates on this situation in the coming days.

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San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez (cramping) was scratched ahead of Saturday's game against the San Diego Padres. Arraez was forced to leave Friday's contest due to cramping. He'll be held out of the lineup here due to the same issue. The Giants are likely going to be careful with Arraez, with the trade deadline only a few days away. The 29-year-old is expected to be traded, with the Rays, Red Sox, and Yankees reportedly showing interest. This season, Arraez is slashing .328/.364/.446 with four home runs, 43 RBI, and 10 stolen bases in 104 games. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Giants hold him out of the lineup until they likely trade him on Monday.

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Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz is reportedly on the trade block ahead of Monday's trade deadline. The Boston Red Sox attempted to make a deal for De La Cruz, but the two sides couldn't agree on a deal. According to Sean McAdam, the Reds wanted young major leaguers in exchange for De La Cruz. The Red Sox were unwilling to move their young MLB talent and would rather trade from within their farm system. It doesn't sound like a deal is going to happen between the two, but it wouldn't be shocking to see the Red Sox add another bat before the deadline is over.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates placed first baseman/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn (quadriceps) on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a strained left quadriceps muscle that is expected to keep him sidelined for six to eight weeks, according to Jason Mackey. O'Hearn injured his quad while running to first base on Friday, and the injury could keep him out for the remainder of the 2026 season. It's a really tough break for the 33-year-old left-handed slugger, who was in the midst of the best year of his MLB career. If O'Hearn doesn't play again for Pittsburgh this year, he'll finish with a .270/.334/.454 slash line, a .788 OPS, a career-high-tying 17 home runs, 69 RBI, 54 runs scored, and a stolen base in 96 games across 398 plate appearances. Fantasy managers in single-year leagues should not feel the need to hold O'Hearn on their rosters because of the high likelihood he won't play again this year. Rookie Rafael Flores Jr., who is coming off the concussion injured list, and Jacob Gonzalez could split playing time at first base for the Bucs going forward with O'Hearn on the shelf.

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The Los Angeles Angels announced that right-hander Jose Soriano has been scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers with Monday's trade deadline right around the corner. "Today, Jose Soriano will not make his scheduled start. With the trade deadline on Monday and the uncertainty of the next 48 hours, we decided to take a prudent approach and see where these next few days lead us," baseball operations consultant John Mozeliak said in a statement. Left-hander Brent Suter will open Saturday's bullpen game against the Brew Crew. Both Soriano and left-hander Reid Detmers could be traded by the Halos this weekend, with the team looking at a potential full rebuild after another dismal season in 2026. The 27-year-old Soriano was looking like one of the best pitchers in baseball early this year before coming back to Earth quickly, and he currently sits with a 9-6 record, career-low 3.29 ERA (3.79 FIP) and 1.25 WHIP with 127 strikeouts and a league-high 57 walks in 123 innings and 22 starts. Soriano's volatile command makes him a boom/bust fantasy starting pitcher, but his overall value should be boosted if he's traded to a contender this weekend.

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The Seattle Mariners are listening to offers for outfielder Randy Arozarena, according to Adam Jude and Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Arozarena is set to be a free agent at the end of the season, and trade talks are expected to "intensify" leading up to the MLB trade deadline on August 3. Seattle is also listening to offers for pitchers George Kirby, Emerson Hancock, and Luis Castillo. The Mariners are sellers and are expected to move Arozarena by the deadline. He has been hitting well over his last 12 games, slashing .277/.358/.426 with three home runs, five RBI, eight runs, and a stolen base. Overall, the 31-year-old is slashing .280/.375/.447 with 13 homers and 20 steals over 440 plate appearances this season. Arozarena's fantasy value could take a bump if he gets moved to a better offense. Still, regardless of where the veteran is traded to, he should continue to be a multi-category contributor for fantasy managers.

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Seattle Mariners right-hander George Kirby could be moved before the August 3 trade deadline, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Multiple teams have engaged the Mariners on a potential deal for Kirby. The Mariners are also listening to offers for starters Emerson Hancock and Luis Castillo. Kirby owns a 3.98 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 107 strikeouts across 120 innings. The 28-year-old was rocked for seven earned runs, serving up four long balls across just four innings in his last start on Monday. Before that start, Kirby posted a 1.73 ERA in his previous four starts before Monday's implosion. His fantasy value might change a little if he's traded but should remain a viable starter regardless of where he lands. Kirby is scheduled to start on Sunday against the Twins, but the Mariners could hold him back until after the MLB deadline. Stay tuned.

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Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele (elbow) is set to take a significant step forward in his recovery on Saturday, as he plans to complete a light workout before throwing approximately 20 pitches from flat ground. The 31-year-old has been sidelined for the entire season while recovering from UCL revision surgery, although he did experience a setback during his rehab. Still, he has progressed from throwing plyometric balls as recently as last month to now preparing to throw from flat ground, making this an important milestone in his recovery. Given his current stage of rehab, the amount of work he still has ahead of him, and the limited time remaining in the season, the clock is ticking on his chances of returning in time to make any meaningful fantasy impact. In fact, there is a possibility that he returns as a reliever rather than a starter, which would further diminish his fantasy relevance. That said, a return in any capacity before the end of the season would be a significant development for Steele as he heads into the postseason and the offseason, making him an intriguing buy-low candidate in dynasty leagues.

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Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Daniel Palencia (elbow) is set to throw a live bullpen session on Saturday after completing multiple bullpen sessions over the past week. Manager Craig Counsell noted that if the 26-year-old reliever feels good coming out of the live session, he could be in line to begin a minor league rehab assignment shortly afterward. If everything goes according to plan and he avoids any setbacks, there is a chance he could return to the Cubs by the middle of August, giving the team its top reliever back to close out games for the final six weeks of the season. Palencia has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, but when healthy, he has been highly effective, recording 25 saves over the past two seasons.

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) has been successfully throwing bullpen sessions at the team's Spring Training complex and will continue to do so next week. His velocity has yet to reach the level it did last year, when he averaged 97.1 mph on his fastball, but neither he nor the team is concerned about that. In fact, Schwellenbach believes that once he begins pitching in games, his velocity will return to where it was last season when he was healthy. As it stands, he will fly back to Florida to continue his recovery, with the hope of beginning a rehab assignment in late August. Given that timeline, there is a window for him to return to the Braves in time for the final two to three weeks of the season. It is also worth mentioning that it has yet to be determined whether he will return as a starter or in a relief role. Despite his limited projected availability and the possibility of a role change, his fantasy relevance is still notable, since his upside is high enough to warrant a stash in most fantasy leagues, especially since his return could coincide with the fantasy baseball playoffs.

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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow (back) will begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday with Class-A Ontario. It was announced that he is expected to throw approximately two innings, as this will be the first of multiple rehab appearances while he works his way back from the lower back spasms that have sidelined him since the beginning of March. He began his recovery by slowly ramping up his throwing program in mid-June. Since then, his progress has accelerated, and he is now ready to embark on the final stage of his recovery. He will likely need at least three rehab starts before being ready to rejoin the Dodgers' rotation. Before his injury, the 32-year-old posted a 2.72 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP while recording 49 strikeouts across 39.2 innings. He figures to slot back into the rotation once fully healthy and is worth stashing in all fantasy leagues in anticipation of near-elite production down the stretch.

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The chances of a deal that would send Miami Marlins middle infielder Otto Lopez to the Boston Red Sox before Monday's Aug. 3 trade deadline are "dead," and it appears highly unlikely that the Marlins trade him at all now, a league source told Sean McAdam of MassLive.com. In the Red Sox's case, they are unwilling to send a package to Miami that would include elite shortstop prospect Franklin Arias. The Marlins are asking for a lot for Lopez, who has three years of control after this season and is currently among the National League leaders in hits, doubles, and batting average. They may now turn their focus to trying to trade fellow middle infielder Xavier Edwards, who the Red Sox are also reportedly interested in. Boston has also been linked to Washington Nationals All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams and Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto. The 27-year-old Lopez doesn't have a ton of power, but he's been excellent everywhere else in 2026 for the Fish, slashing .322/.356/.481 with an .838 OPS while leading the league in doubles (27) and hits (138) in 107 games across 463 plate appearances.

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The Milwaukee Brewers acquired catcher Bo Naylor and pitcher Codi Heuer from the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday in exchange for pitcher Craig Yoho and outfielder Blake Perkins, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Naylor, 26, was demoted to the minors by Cleveland after 28 games in the first half of the season, in which he hit just .143/.200/.238 with a .438 OPS, two home runs, seven RBI, and four runs scored in 90 plate appearances. In 45 games on the farm at Triple-A Columbus, Naylor has hit .225/.344/.438 with a .781 OPS, seven home runs, 24 RBI, 25 runs scored, and four steals in 189 plate appearances. The Brewers are set with William Contreras and Gary Sanchez as their catchers at the major-league level right now, so Naylor is expected to report to Triple-A Nashville to continue working on his offensive approach in the minors after the trade.

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Trade talks surrounding Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal are expected to heat up this weekend, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Skubal is easily the biggest name on this year's trade market, and the Tigers might also have the second-best starting pitcher available in right-hander Casey Mize, who was scratched from his start on Friday with the deadline approaching. ESPN's Jeff Passan said earlier this week that Skubal will be traded, so now it's just a matter of when and how big a haul the Tigers can get for him. The tricky part of the whole situation is that Skubal is set for free agency after the 2026 campaign, so it will be interesting to see if a contending team that is serious about acquiring Skubal will also double down and sign him to a long-term contract extension. The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to be viewed as the favorites for Skubal, with the Milwaukee Brewers potentially jumping into the mix as well. In 16 starts this year, the 29-year-old two-time Cy Young winner has gone 7-5 with a 2.79 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 116 strikeouts, and 14 walks in 96 2/3 innings pitched. Skubal bounced back quickly after having surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow in the first half of the season.

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Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo (finger) threw 50 pitches over three simulated innings of live batting practice against hitters on Friday, according to MLB.com. Lodolo felt good about using a new grip to throw his breaking pitches, and he could be cleared to go on a minor-league rehab assignment next. The 28-year-old southpaw has been on the 15-day injured list with a left index finger blister since July 12, but he's nearing a return to the Reds' starting rotation for the remainder of the second half of the season. Before going on the IL yet again, Lodolo had gone 3-2 for the Reds this year with a 4.60 ERA (5.09 FIP) and 1.47 WHIP with 50 strikeouts and 27 walks in 62 2/3 innings across his 12 starts. The former seventh overall pick in 2019 out of Texas Christian University has never been able to stay healthy long enough to realize his potential in the big leagues, and he's posted a career-low 17.9% strikeout rate and career-high 9.7% walk rate in 2026. Lodolo could be a decent matchup-based streamer in fantasy leagues when he returns to Cincy's starting rotation, and he's currently rostered in only 63% of Yahoo leagues.

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The Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox are the three teams showing the strongest interest in San Francisco Giants infielder Luis Arraez, sources told Francys Romero. Arraez was pulled from Friday's game early against the division-rival San Diego Padres due to cramps, but he should be alright and could even return for Game 3 of the series in San Diego on Saturday. The 29-year-old three-time batting champion will most likely be moved by Monday's trade deadline, and he's attracting much more interest on the trade market this summer than he did as a free agent last offseason. The main reason for that is his improvement at second base with the help of infield guru Ron Washington in San Francisco this year. Additionally, the Venezuelan infielder continues to hit, batting a league-best .328 (136-for-415) with four home runs, 43 RBI, 52 runs, and 10 steals in his 104 games with San Fran. The four-time All-Star will be a free agent after the 2026 season, so he'll essentially be a veteran rental for the rest of the year.

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Minnesota Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews closed out the month of July in strong form in the team's 5-3 win over the hosting Seattle Mariners on Friday night, allowing three earned runs on four hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out 10 in five innings pitched for a no-decision. The 26-year-old is now 4-8 on the season with a 5.22 ERA (5.04 FIP) and 1.31 WHIP with 69 strikeouts and 26 walks in 81 innings pitched across 14 starts in his third year in the majors. Friday's outing was his first double-digit strikeout performance, and he heads into August with five earned runs allowed, five walks, and 11 strikeouts in 11 innings in his last two outings against the Mariners and Athletics after a 10-run blowup (eight earned runs) on July 19 at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. The former eight-rounder in 2022 from Western Carolina University has potential, but he's sporting a career-low 20.2% strikeout rate and career-high 7.6% walk rate in 2026.

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Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Walker Jenkins has logged a hit in 10 of his last 11 games and is hitting .262 (11-for-42) with seven walks and three stolen bases during that stretch. Overall, Jenkins is slashing .268/.377/.432 with four home runs, 15 doubles, 35 runs, and 10 stolen bases across 223 plate appearances in Triple-A St. Paul. The Twins are dealing with injuries in the outfield as Byron Buxton (hip) was recently placed on the injured list with a right hip impingement. Minnesota is expected to be buyers at the MLB trade deadline, so that could impact Jenkins' call-up. The 21-year-old dealt with a Grade 2 AC joint sprain in his left shoulder earlier in the year, but it hasn't slowed him down. He's posted a .931 OPS and 10.1 BB% in 30 games since returning from the injured list. Jenkins is making a case for a priority stash, but the Twins might not promote the former first-round pick until MLB rosters expand in September.

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